HONG KONG -- Chinese companies have committed more than a billion dollars to share buybacks, but such moves have so far done little to restore confidence in a flagging market.

As foreign investors unloaded a record amount of Chinese stocks due to concerns over property market turmoil, the country's top securities watchdog stepped in to attempt to boost investor confidence. The China Securities Regulatory Commission (CSRC) last Friday proposed measures including easing buyback rules to "support listed-companies to launch share buybacks," extending A-share trading hours and reducing trading costs.